Gravity for Kids: Why Everything Falls Down (Grade 4 and 5 Science)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. If you drop a ball, it falls down. If you jump, you come back down. What pulls everything down? It is a force called gravity! Let's find out how it works.

Gravity is a pulling force. Every object with mass pulls on other objects. Earth is so huge that its pull is very strong. It pulls everything toward its center.

Here is a puzzle. People live all around the round Earth. Why do people on the other side not fall off? Because down always means toward the center of Earth, no matter where you stand.

Weight is the measure of how hard gravity pulls on you. On the Moon, gravity is only about one sixth as strong as on Earth. You would weigh much less and could jump really high!

Without air, all objects fall at the same rate. An astronaut on the Moon once dropped a hammer and a feather together, and they hit the ground at the same time! On Earth, air slows the feather.

Gravity works in space too. The Sun's gravity keeps Earth in orbit around it. Earth's gravity keeps the Moon circling around us. Without gravity, they would drift away.

Now it's your turn. A child in Australia throws a ball straight up. Which way will it fall? Pause and try. It falls down, toward the center of Earth, just like everywhere else!

Great job! Remember, gravity is a force that pulls objects toward the center of Earth. It gives us weight and holds the Moon in orbit. Practice gravity in the Science Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!